The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly From The Second to Last Week

The Good

It was hard pulling something good out of such a depressing result. In the end I decided to pick the most exciting moment of the game for Union fans. No it wasn't the finish from Fabinho, which in all honesty, was a lucky finish. It was fired hard and on frame, but really should have been a save. Then again you miss 100% of the shots you don't take, so the left back midfielder deserves some credit for putting it on goal.

The best part of that moment, though, was the pass from Kleberson that earned the assist on the play. The playmaker picked up the ball at midfield and drove into the heart of the Montreal defense before playing a perfectly weighted ball that fell perfectly at the feet of Fabinho. It was exactly the type of exciting creative play that Philly fans have been calling for, but have been denied by Hackworth. You'll get one more chance to see Kleberson play this week, so please enjoy it while it lasts.

The Bad

This one goes hand in hand with the Good this week. It is plays like that assist that makes me so frustrated that we have been denied this type of talent for large portions of the season. There were weeks on end that Kleberson failed to even make the 18 even when he was healthy, and it was because he either wasn't good enough or there seemed to be a lack of urgency to improve a struggling squad.

Keep in mind as we head into the off season, that it is very likely that Kleberson and Roger Torres will both be departing this offseason as there seems to be no place for them in the Hackworth lead Philadelphia Union. Take out this creative spark, and what is left? Is the team that looks lost going forward and just runs up and down the field the one you want to watch play every week?

The Ugly

I'm straying away from the Union for the Ugly this week. There are many weeks that Bruce Arena complains about MLS scheduling because it has put him in some tight positions because of running up against CONCACAF Champions League or international breaks, leaving his roster shorthanded and exhausted. While it is true that the scheduling is less than ideal for teams, but as a fan this week has me the most disappointed.

When Manchester City won their first Barclay's Premier League title it was an epic finish that was elevated by the simple fact that every game that final day was played at the exact same time. The images of the live coverage flipped back and forth of Manchester United players and fans celebrating because they were on top, back to the last gasp City goal, and then back to the horrifying stares of those same United faces realizing the title was just ripped from their hands.

Not only has MLS failed to capitalize on the opportunity of pure drama of last gasp thrills, but has every single game starting at a different time split over two days. Teams like New York and LA will know exactly where they stand and what is needed to finish where they want to and can alter their lineups to rest key players for the playoffs if they are happy with how other games have finished in their conferences. I don't want to get into conspiracy theories here, but the league has decided to give the last game of each conference to the two major markets that seem to get every break by league rule changes. Instead of worrying about completely altering the calendar of the league, maybe MLS should first focus on taking full advantage of the opportunities that they have.